Yukimaru Kirigakure
is a Jōnin of Yamagakure hailing from the Kirigakure Clan. He is the leader of Team Kirigakure. Background As a boy, Yukimaru learned he was unable to preform his clan's unique kekkei tōta, Metal Release. Because of this, his uncle, Saizō Kirigakure, and the head of the clan, decided he would never be a shinobi. Ashamed, Yukimaru often stayed to himself. However, after his father and mother were killed on a mission for the village, Saizō attempted to have him thrown out of the clan as an orphan. Though he was unsuccessful, Yukimaru was nonetheless treated as an outcast. Nevertheless, he successfully became a genin at seven, and then a chūnin at eight. Shortly after his sixteenth birthday, war broke out in the Land of Mountains between the dwindling samurai militia, lead by the Four Devas, tried to preserve their own way of life by snuffing out Yamagakure's growing power, and the rise of the shinobi. In response for the growing demand for shinobi on the battlefield, Yukimaru was made a jōnin by Ryun himself, and sent to the frontlines to fight. Much of Yukimaru's skill as a shinobi developed whilst he was on the battlefield, and before long, many of the adult, first generation Yamagakure shinobi began to accept him as their comrade, allowing him to fight by their side. At some point during the conflicts, Yukimaru developed his personal clone technique, which, due to their resilience, were sent to the frontlines of every battlefield, turning the tide of the war in the shinobis' favor. His demonic method of fighting, along with his ever increasing versatility with ninjutsu eventually forced the Four Devas to issue a "flee-on-sight" order whenever he or one of his clones were spotted. Yukimaru then joined in on the final battle of the war in Edo, the capital city of the Land of Mountains. There, it is known that he was among the jōnin that personally fought the Four Devas. While the four weren't killed, the samurai surrendered, and the war was won. Yukimaru returned to the village a hero, having earned the respect of many of his peers and elders. However, even despite this, Saizō, his uncle, held a grudge against him and forbade him to return home. Defeated despite his victory, Yukimaru began living outside the Higurashi Shrine in Yamagakure. There, amongst the memorials to the heroes of Yamagakure long dead, he met Chiyo, an elderly kunoichi who was visiting the tombstone of her husband, son, and grandson, all of whom had died in one of the earlier civil wars and whose tombstone Yukimaru had lied down beside to rest. Seeing him there, she decided that it was destiny that they had been lead together, and took Yukimaru in as her adoptive son; continuing to raise him until he was old enough to live on his own. Personality Yukimaru is a carefree, lazy, and aloof individual, who is often late to assignments and non-serious about important matters. Because of his previous grievances with his clan, he only introduces himself by his given name, "Yukimaru", and rarely, if every, emphasizes his surname of Kirigakure. That being said, Yukimaru seems to have a very heightened sense of honor, and has a personal policy of always repaying a debt, even if it kills the one paying it. He cares very much for his fellow shinobi of Yamagakure, especially his teammates, and is willing to put their well being before the village or any mission assigned to him. He is, however, very serious and blunt, and is not afraid to speak his mind when he feels there is wrongdoing involved. Despite the way he was treated by his clan during much of his early life, he is generally considered the village's model shinobi, due to his warm, comforting personality. He is known to be on good terms with almost all of the shinobi in Yamagakure, and most respect him just by his reputation alone. As the jōnin in charge of his own team of genin, Yukimaru seems to be genuinely concerned with his student's development, and is often seen finding odd and unique ways to help them improve. In his youth, however, Yukimaru had a more demonic side to his personality. During the Samurai–Shinobi Civil War, he was known for his brutal fighting style, which made him a near demon on the battlefield. This trait gave him a similarity to a previous hero in the Land of Mountains, Seireitou Hyūga, which caused his enemies and comrades alike to reference him with Seireitou's moniker of "}}. Recently, this side of his persona only appears when something or someone he cares about is threatened. Appearance Yukimaru is a fairly tall shinobi, standing at about the same height as his uncle, Saizō. He wears standard shinobi armor, over a white and grey kimono, and cargo pants. Over this, he wears a white robe. He also wears a white headband with the Yamagakure insignia inscribed on it. Yukimaru has cold brown eyes, though his namesake comes from his snow-white hair, which he wears short. His hair is notably curly, something which is commented on very often about him. In his leisure time, he can be seen in a black jumpsuit, with a white kimono over the top, which has an elaborate blue design printed on it. He only wears this jumpsuit with one of the sleeves, leaving the other to dangle at his side, and allowing his left arm to rest in the cleft created by this. In his youth, Yukimaru wore the same jumpsuit and kimono, however, he wore his hair much longer, with the back of his hair reaching down to his mid-back. This further accented the curls in his hair. He also bore two scars; a scar under his left eye, and a crossed scar on his right cheek. What became of these scars is unknown. Plot Abilities Yukimaru is one of the most skilled and talented shinobi in Yamagakure, hailed as a genius member of the Kirigakure Clan, despite the fact that he cannot use the clan's bloodline limit; Metal Release. He was known to have graduated the Academy at the age of 7, becoming a chūnin at the age of 8, and a jōnin at age 16. He was also a celebrated hero during the Samurai–Shinobi Civil War, having fought alongside several adults of the first generation of Yamagakure shinobi, a true testament of his genius prowess. His accomplishments, despite much early adversity, have earned him a very prominent reputation among his comrades, and fear among those from other nations and villages. His demonic fighting style during the Samurai–Shinobi Civil War, which was very reminiscent to an earlier hero of the Land of Mountains, Seireitou Hyūga, earned him the moniker . More than a match for nearly any opponent, Yukimaru, alongside Fujoshi Shihōin, is widely considered by Ryun Uchiha, the Yamakage, to be one of the village's strongest shinobi, and a candidate for his successor. Saizō Kirigakure, Yukimaru's uncle, whom originally wanted to see him banished from the clan, due to his inability to use the Kirigakure's kekkei genkai, now labels him as an equal. During the war, this caused seasoned opponents, such as the Four Devas, to prioritize his defeat over that of others. Because of his versatility in combat, he is known as a shinobi will almost no weaknesses, and a terror on the battlefield. This is only tempered by his rather lazy demeanor. Ninjutsu Despite not being able to preform his clan's kekkei tōta, Yukimaru more than makes this up with his sheer prowess in ninjutsu. Not only does Yukimaru claim to know most of the ninjutsu invented by shinobi of Yamagakure, he has also created several unique techniques of his own, such as his personal Shadow Clone Technique; a more resilient version of the typical shadow clones. Additionally, he seems to have a vast number of ninjutsu in his arsenal, making him versatile and able to adapt to any situation presented to him. According to Ryun, Yukimaru is secondly only to himself in mastery of ninjutsu, a feat few shinobi have the right of holding. In addition to this, he is particularly skilled with collaboration ninjutsu, able to combine his ninjutsu, for example, with Ryun Uchiha's black flames to create a devastating new technique. Nature Transformations To make up for the fact that he cannot preform his clan's kekkei tōta, Yukimaru devoted himself to mastering all five nature transformation, a feat unseen outside of those who possess the legendary dōjutsu, the Rinnegan. Combined with his natural talent for mastering ninjutsu of all caliber, Yukimaru has the potential to learn any elemental technique he desires. With his earth chakra, he can preform primarily defensive techniques, such as creating a barricade out of the ground beneath him, or even a more large-scale barrier, if the situation requires it. He can tap on the within the ground beneath him to create an even more sturdy encampment, which can double as a shelter, or even create a circular formation of earth walls to counter widespread attacks. With fire, he can create a barrage of immense fireballs, which can ravage his opponents or cause it to erupt from underneath his targets' feet, which is particularly deadly when used against large crowds of opponents. Using lightning, Yukimaru can unleash a furious barrage of lightning bolt-style missiles. When used together with Ryun's Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi, an assault of black flame-coated lightning bolts rains down from the skies, striking tremendous damage over a wide range. With water, he can generate a highly pressurized blast of water, which can severely injure and stun his targets. Lastly, with wind, he can conjure several miniature tornadoes which have the ability to grievously cut anyone caught in their path. Most notably among his skills, is his ability to use several elemental techniques that usually require an entire team of shinobi to preform. This ability is what earned him the moniker . Using this skill, he can effectively take on large numbers of foes unaided, and easily secure victory. It also earned him a "flee-on-sight" order from enemy forces during the Samurai–Shinobi Civil War. Space-Time Ninjutsu Yukimaru has learned the Flying Thunder God Technique through yet unexplained methods. He is, however, a talented user of the technique. His bokutō is marked with his own unique technique formula, which is the kanji for "|洞爺湖}}. He can mark anyone or anything he chooses by making physical contact with the desired target. The technique formula is then permanent. He can, if he so chooses, toss this sword above a large group of enemies, before jumping to the sword, and then launching a surprise attack from above. He also has the capacity to use the Summoning Technique, having a contract with the toads of . With it, he can summon a massive toad to crush his opponent underfoot. Senjutsu Kenjutsu Chakra Prowess and Control Intelligence Quotes * (To Muramasa) "Don't worry, you guys aren't evil. You're only trying to steal away the dreams of everyone in this nation. The dreams built upon by that man. That's not evil. Now, watch closely. I'll show you what real evil looks like." * (To Ryun, about Yamagakure) "Geezer, I promise... to protect everything that you laid the foundation for... and all of those you hold dear!" Trivia * Yukimaru was originally meant to have a deprecated version of Metal Release, Magnet Release (as it only uses two of the three natures required in Metal Release), but this idea was scrapped. * His youthful appearance, prior to the Samurai–Shinobi Civil War, bears a striking resemblance to Yamcha from the Dragon Ball series.